SHADES of Bill Clinton, it must depend on the meaning of the word “keep.”

Democrats have decided to keep almost all the fat-cat bucks Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton got from scandal-scarred ImClone chief Sam Waksal – even though she claims she wants it returned.

You’ll recall that after The Post last week revealed Clinton was keeping Waksal’s $63,000, she did a quick about-face and said she’d give it to charity, later adding: “We have to make sure that the people who may have done something wrong are held accountable.”

But Clinton said she’d only return $7,000 because, technically, the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee controls the rest, adding that she’d like them to cough up the other $56,000 for charity.

Dream on. The DSCC yesterday said it intends to keep Waksal’s $56,000 rather than, as Clinton put it, hold him “accountable.”

Ethics watchdog Larry Noble of the Center for Responsive Politics notes that groups like the DSCC are often only too happy to take the heat – and keep the bucks – since they don’t face voters.

“The question becomes: How much moral pressure does she really want to put on them?” he asks.

So far, obviously not enough to get them to act.

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A second black Democrat – Georgia Rep. Cynthia McKinney – is now in real danger of losing a House seat to another Dem in a primary next Tuesday overshadowed by the war on terror.

The vocally anti-Israel McKinney has accused President Bush of letting 9/11 happen so his friends could cash in, and last fall appealed to a Saudi prince to give her $10 million that then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani had refused after the prince blamed the U.S.’ pro-Israel policies for the terror attacks.

Polls now show McKinney – who’s getting strong financial support from Arab-Americans – is in a dead heat with Denise Majette, a former state judge who’s also black and has strong support from Jews.

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So, when and how will “Torch” try to burn little-known GOP rival Doug Forrester?

Analysts say ethically challenged Sen. Bob Torricelli (D-N.J.) needs to quickly throw some mud at Forrester now that their race is a tie.

Unfortunately for Torch, Forrester isn’t a right-to-lifer, so he can’t use that issue – a gold mine for New Jersey Dems in last year’s gubernatorial race in the very pro-choice state.

Another problem: Last week’s Quinnipiac poll suggests that voters won’t believe Torricelli’s attacks now that he’s been “severely admonished” for his own conduct.